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Today in Canada's Political History: July 24, 1960, John Diefenbaker privately offers the American Canada’s assistance in U.S.-Cuba relations

  • Arthur Milnes

  • National Newswatch

  • July 24, 2026

Arthur Milnes, creator of Art's History on National Newswatch, is an accomplished public historian, award-winning journalist, and in-house historian at the Frontenac Club Hotel who brings Canada's political history to life through engaging stories, historical insights, and personal anecdotes drawn from his encounters with many of the country's leading figures.

Tensions between the Eisenhower and Castro administrations were rising on this date in 1960 and Prime Minister John Diefenbaker (via his foreign minister Howard Green) offered Canada’s back-channel assistance in calming the situation.

I’ll let a declassified U.S. State Department telegram sent from the American embassy by the Ambassador to Canada, Richard Wiggleworth tell the story.

“On short notice I was summoned to call on External Affairs Minister Green this morning. He asked me to convey personal message from Prime Minister to President to effect that President of Mexico recently suggested to Prime Minister that they together with President of Brazil should offer United States and Cuba their good offices in finding ways of ameliorating present situation. Prime Minister replied that Canada would be glad to cooperate if this were deemed helpful. Prime Minister is under impression that President of Brazil made similar response.

Prime Minister anxious make clear that he is not contemplating action on part of Canada unless this would be agreeable to the United States. He hesitated to telephone President at Newport because he was doubtful of secure connection. Prime Minister is not informing Mexicans of this message. Canada has apparently not been in direct touch with Brazilians.

Department may or may not wish inform Embassies Mexico City and Rio.”



Arthur Milnes is an accomplished public historian and award-winning journalist. He was research assistant on The Rt. Hon. Brian Mulroney’s best-selling Memoirs and also served as a speechwriter to then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and as a Fellow of the Queen’s Centre for the Study of Democracy under the leadership of Tom Axworthy. A resident of Kingston, Ontario, Milnes serves as the in-house historian at the 175 year-old Frontenac Club Hotel.